1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tobacco smoke article testing and, more particularly, to an improved tobacco smoke article holder for a testing machine and a method of mounting a tobacco smoke article in the holder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the tobacco smoking art, it is generally well known to test smoking articles on smoking machines which collect total particulate matter on a smoke filter, the collected particulate matter being subsequently extracted from the smoke filter, measured and analyzed. It also is generally well known in the tobacco smoking art, to maintain the integrity of the mouth end of the tobacco smoke article to be tested on a testing machine without undesirable deformation which might result in an adverse effect upon testing operations and, at the same time, it is necessary to support the mouth end of a tobacco smoke article in a holder of a testing machine in sealed relationship with such holder to avoid undesirable fume and air leakage. Various tobacco smoke article holder arrangements have been utilized in the past to support the mouth ends of tobacco smoke articles in a testing machine in sealed relation therewith without mouth end deformation. Such past arrangements have included inflatable sleeves arranged to surround and seal the mouth end of a tobacco article when inflated, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,281, issued to G. Menges et al, on June 4, 1968; semi-cylindrical concave jaws coated with foam rubber which compressively surround and clamp around the mouth end of a tobacco article as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,402, issued to W. Rudszinat on Sept. 5, 1967; and deformable elastic tubular sealing elements - the bore of which surroundingly receives the mouth end of the tobacco smoke article - as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,832, issued to A. Baier on Nov. 6, 1973. In fact, the broad use of fluid pressure flexible sleeves to hold article ends also is well known in non-allied arts, such as is disclosed in the machine tool chuck assembly set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,219, issued to G. N. Cameron on July 25, 1972. However, none of the abovenoted patents teaches or suggests the novel concept of applicant's present invention, which not only recognizes the importance of mouth end sealing of a tobacco smoke article in a holder of a testing machine without deformation, but further recognizes the importance of simulating human lip-mucosal relation in such tobacco smoke article holders including control of the significant parameters of human lip pressure, average lip width, mouth end insertion of the tobacco smoke article to be tested in the holder, and normal human mucosal roll - avoiding inordinate testing machine holder deformation and ventilation occlusion or impairment beyond that which might ordinarily occur with the human smoking of the tobacco article to be tested.
In addition to recognizing and providing a tobacco smoke article holder for a testing machine which best simulates human smoking to permit accurate testing, the present invention provides a novel tobacco smoke article holder assembly and method of operating the same, which is straightforward and economical in manufacture, assembly and operation, requiring a minimum of parts to assemble and a minimum of steps to efficiently and effectively operate.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.